Carpet sweepers



MalCh 21, 1961 R' E LlDDELL ET AL CARPET SWEEPERS 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Filed NOV. 2l. 1957 EVE-2.11:.

E EEES15:: ...5 as 7 ,l INYENTORS. N @Devi E'. LlddeH Norber T. Kuqpers Ro bevi Yonkers March 2l, 1961 R. E. LIDDELL ET AL 2,975,449

CARPET SWEEPERS Filed Nov. 2l, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /0 INvENToRs Rober/T E, Liddell Norberf T. Kuqper Roban A. Yonkers atent" Ai fr 975,449 .Patented Mar. 2l, 1961 CARPET 'SWEEPERS Robert E. Liddell and Norbert T. Kuypers, Detroit, `and Robert A. Yonkers, Grand Rapids, Vlit/lith., assignors to Bissell Inc., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 21, 1957, Ser. No. `697,919

8 Claims. (Cl. 15-41) This invention relates to carpet sweepers `of the floor wheel brush driving type.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a carpet sweeper which is eiicient and at the same time comprises relatively few parts which may be economically produced and assembled.

Second, to provide a carpet sweeper including a onepiece casing which may be readily formed as an integral stamping or integrally molded from plastic material, and at the same time is strong and rigid and of attractive appearance.

Third, to provide a carpet sweeper which is of light weight in proportion to its size.

Fourth, to provide a carpet sweeper having these advantages which may be easily manipulated in use and one Kin which the handle may be adjusted to an upright supported position for convenience in grasping or to a position in generally horizontally aligned relation to the sweeper for storage.

Objects relating to details and economies ofthe invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is deiined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a carpet sweeper embodying the invention partially in section on a line corresponding to line 1 1 in Figs. 2 and 4.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view partially in vertical transverse section with the `handle in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary inverted or bottom view with one of the dust pans partially broken away and in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View inrsection on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a `fragrnentaryend elevational view with the handle adjusted to upright position.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a casing Iformed as an integral stamping and includes the top wall 1, side walls 2, and end walls 3. These walls have outward offsets 4 at their lower edges providing shoulders which merge into the side walls and into the laterally projecting continuous flange 5, that is, the ilange 5 extends entirely around the casing.

The elastically resilient bumper 6 has an inwardly facing groove 7 receiving the ilange with the bumper in abutting engagement with the shoulder 4. This supports the bumper so that it not only serves as a projecting guard to protect furniture and the like, but serves to cover any relatively sharp edges with which the operators hands might come in contact and provides a downwardly facing cushioning seat for the dust pans when they are in closed position, as will Vlater appear. The handle 8 is provided with a bail having springable arms 9 terminating in inwardly projecting journals 10 which serve to support the handle and also provide journals for the 2 brush I11, the body of which is provided with bore-like bearings 12 for the journals, see Fig. l.

The handle bail support members 13 function to reinforce the end walls in the zone in which stress from the handle is applied and also provide bearings for the journals 16. These support members, in the embodiment illustrated, are formed of moldable resin or thermoplastic material and have bearings 14 projecting through openings 15 provided therefor in the casing end walls.

The support members 13 are ixedly secured on the outer sides of the end walls and are provided with flanges 16 on their upper edges notched at 17 to receive the arms of the handle bail and support the handle in vertical position relative to the casing, the ribs or anges 16 also serving to yieldably hold the handle in a generally horizontal position relative to the casing for convenience in handling and storage.

The body` of the brush is provided with pulleys 18 which desirably have rubber facings 19, as illustrated. The pairs of floor wheels 2i) are provided with common spindles 2,1 which are engaged in the openings 22 of the bracket members 23 lixedly mounted on the inner sides of the end walls of the casing. The openings 22 are dimensioned to permit limited lateral `movement of the oor wheel spindles.

The spindles 21 constitute -supports for the dust paus 24, which are provided with end walls 25 disposed at the inner sides of the iloor wheels and in supported engagement with the spindles 21. When in closed position the outer edge portions 26 of the dust pans .lap against the underside of the side wall portions of the bumper member 5. The dust pans are held in both their open and their closed positions by means of the bowed springs 27, which also act to urge the floor wheels against the brush pulleys. These springs are supported by the brackets 2S which are disposed and xedly supported at the inner sides of the support members 23 and have in wardly projecting arms 29 which overhang the ends of the brush body and are provided with holes 30 with which the ofl'sets 31 in the springs 27 are engaged, with the springs disposed on the undersides of the arms 29 as shown in Figs. l and 4. j

The springs 27 are of downwardly facing bowed shape, their arms being disposed in engagement with the headed studs 32 disposed on the inner sides of the end walls of the dust pans, The arms of the springs terminate in angularly disposed portions 33 with which the studs 32 are engaged when the dust pans are in open position so that the springs serve not only to yieldingly urge the door wheels against the brush pulleys, but also to hold the dust pans in closed position andin open position.

The dust pans are provided with finger pieces 34 desirably at each end thereof, these finger pieces being located below the casing and within the borders thereof so that they cannot contact withvany object to accidentally open a dust pan, and at the same time they are readily` accessible for manipulating the dust pans. Another object of this arrangement of parts isfthat all of the operating mechanism is not only effectively housed but none of it is visible when the sweeper is viewed from the top or downwardly. With this arrangement of parts, they may be quite economically produced and assembled and result in a highly practical sweeper and one which is very easily manipulated.

rlhe brush may be removed by springing one of `the handle bail arm-s outwardly to withdraw the journal thereof from the roller bearing.

We have not attempted to illustrate various modifications or adaptations of our invention, such for example as forming the casing of thermoplastic material, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt our invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed "as new anddesired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing including end Walls having centrally disposed openings therein, handle bail support members mounted on the outer sides of said casing end walls and having bail bearings aligned with said openings in said end walls, a handle provided with a bail having inwardly projecting aligned journals engaged in said bearings in said support members and projecting inwardly therefrom through 'said openings in said end walls, a brush rotatably mounti yengaged with said brackets with the arms of the springs Iprojecting downwardly and engaged with said dustpan end walls and acting to yieldingly urge the dustpans to closed position and the floor wheels into driving engagement with said pulleys.

2. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing including end walls having centrally disposed openings ',therein, handle bail support members mounted on the outer sides of said casing end walls and having bail bearings aligned with said openings in said end walls, a handle provided with a bail having inwardly projecting Aaligned journals engaged in said bearings in said support `members and projecting inwardly therefrom through said openings in said end walls, a brush rotatably mounted on said journals and having pulleys disposed at its ends, door wheels provided with spindles, support members for said floor wheel spindles mounted on the inner sides of said casing end walls and having spindle receiving openings therein dimensioned to permit limited lateral movement of the spindles, dustpans having end walls disposed on the inner sides of said oorwheels in pivotal supported engagement with said spindles, and springs yieldingly urging the'dustpans to closed position and the oor wheels into driving engagement with said pulleys. 3. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing including end walls provided with bail bearings, a handle provided with a bail having journals engaged in said bearings and projecting inwardly from said end Walls, a brushv rotatably mounted on said journals and provided with, pulleys, oor wheels provided with spindles, support members for said floor wheel spindles mountedon the inner sides of said casing end wall and having spindle receiving openings therein dimcnsioned to permit limited lateral movement of the spindles, dustpans having end walls disposed on the inner sides of said floor wheels in pivoted supported engagement with said spindles, spring supports projecting upwardly frfom said support members with their upper ends above the ends of said brush, and bowed downwardly facing springs engaged with said supports with the arms of the springs projecting downwardly into engagement with said dustpan end walls and acting to yieldingly urge the dustpan to closed position and the door wheels into driving engagement with said pulleys. n 4. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing, a brush rotatably mounted within said casing and having driving pulleys at the ends thereof, oor wheels, spindles therefor supportedly mounted on said casing on opposite sides of said brush and having limited lateral and independent movement relative thereto, dust pans having end walls disposed at the inner sides of said oor wheels 4 t and swingably mounted on said spindles, said dustpan end walls having headed studs thereon disposed inwardly relative to the spindles, spring supporting brackets disposed on the inner sides of the end walls and iixedly connected thereto to project inwardly therefrom in overhanging relation to said brush pulleys and having open-V ings therein, and bowed springs disposed with their bights on the undersides of said brackets and having offsets therein engaged in said openings, the arms of the springs being in engagement with said studs on said dustpan end walls and acting to urge the dustpan to closed position and the oor wheels into driving engagement with said brush pulleys.

5. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing, a brush rotatably mounted within said casing and having driving pulleys at the end thereof, floor wheels, spindles therefor supportedly mounted on said. casing on opposite slides of said brush andvhaving limited lateral and .in-

'dependent movement relative thereto, dustpans having end walls disposed at the inner sides of said floor wheels and swingably mounted on said spindles, said dustpan end walls having headed studs thereon disposed inwardly relative to the spindles, spring supporting brackets disposed on the inner sides of the end walls and iixedly connected thereto to project inwardly therefrom in overhanging relation to said brush pulleys and having openings therein, and bowed springs disposed with their bights in thrust engagement with said brackets, the arms of the springs being in engagement with said dustpan end walls and acting to urge the dustpan to closed position and the floor wheels into driving engagement with said brush pulleys.

6. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a casing, a brush rotatably mounted within said casing and having driving pulleys at the ends thereof, oor wheels, spindles therefor supportedly mounted on said casing on opposite sides of said brush and having limited lateral and independent movement relative thereto, dustpans having relative to the spindles, spring supporting brackets disposed on the inner sides of the end walls and iixedly connected thereto to project inwardly therefrom in over hangingrelation to said brush pulleys and having openings therein, and bowed springs disposed with their bights in thrust engagement with said brackets and their arms engaged with said studs on said dustpan end walls and acting to urge the dustpans to closed position and the oor wheels into driving engagement with said brush pulleys, the arms of the springs having angularly disposed end portions with which said studs are engaged when the dustpans are in fully open position to releasably hold them in that position. Y

7. In a carpet sweeper having a one-piece thin casing with top, front'and-rear side walls, and lend walls, and having a handle with a bail formed with internal journal ends; a journal support member for each said hail end disposed against the outside of the corresponding Vend wall of the casing, said support members having notch means therein for positioning the handle relative to the casing, a rotary cylindrical brush extending between the ends of the casing and journaled on the inturned ends of the bail, a pair of floor wheels mounted on a common spindle extending parallel to said brush and in front of the same with the periphery of the wheels engaging corresponding end portions of the brush to drive the latter., a similar pair of oor wheels similarly mounted to the rear of said brush, wheel support members disposed against the inside of each end wall of the casing to re ceive and rotationally support the corresponding wheel spindle ends, and means securing said journal support members and the corresponding wheel support members rigidlytogether with the corresponding end walls of the casing clamped therebetween to support the casing on said wheels substantially free of operative stresses.

8. In a carpet sweeper having a one-piece thin casing with top, front and rear side walls, and end walls, and having a handle with a bail formed with internal journal ends; a journal support member for each said bail end disposed against the outside of the corresponding end Wall of the casing, said support members having notch means therein for positioning the handle relative to the casing, a rotary cylindrical brush extending between the ends of the casing and journaled on the inturned ends of the bail, a pair of oor wheels mounted on a common spindle extending parallel to said brush and in front of the same with the periphery of the wheels engaging corresponding end portions of the brush to drive the latter, a similar pair of oor wheels similarly mounted to the rear of said brush, wheel support members disposed against the inside of each end wall of the casing to receive and rotationally support the corresponding wheel spindle ends, means securing said journal support mem- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 576,837 Drew ,---.tn Feb. 9, 1897 773,581 Murdick ..-i Nov. 1, 1904 1,079,694 Deacon Nov. 25, 1913 2,464,910 Wagner ..V ..i.. Mar. 22, 1949 2,645,798 Thiele Iuly 21, 1953 2,745,125 Klumb May 15, 1956 

